The research will investigate the role of plasmalogens and long chain fatty aldehydes in the acute and chronic effects of ethanol ingestion. The disturbances of metabolism of other biogenic aldehydes by ethanol is well known, but the possible disturbances of lipid metabolism centering around the fatty aldehydes has not been approached in a systematic way. The metabolism of palmitaldehyde will be used as a representative of the fatty aldehydes for this research project. Genetic differences in sensitivity to various effects of ethanol among strains of mice will be used as a tool to search for the possible neurochemical basis for the differences in the area of plasmalogen and other lipids. Plasmalogens are vital to various processes in the body, but it is unknown if ethanol has an effect on the metabolism surrounding these compounds. It is proposed to study these and related compounds in brains of normal animals or humans as compared to ones ingesting ethanol. These studies will concentrate on fatty aldehyde and sphingolipid content in brain.